People at the Heart of Change

FROM FOUNDING MOTHERS TO A GROWING MOVEMENT

In 1967, Marian McBee, Kathryn Merriam, and Margaret Schaeffer, three remarkable women inspired by their passion for helping others, set up shop at a loaned office space in downtown Santa Cruz to develop volunteer programs that would change the lives of residents in need. Within one year, they raised the funds to hire a staff member and developed a mentoring program for boys in need of male role models, a tutoring program for adults who spoke no English, a jail visitation program, and 2 programs addressing the needs of home-bound seniors.

52 years ago they launched a powerful movement of local people working together to solve local problems that is still growing and serving our community today.

So much has changed in 50 years but the heart of what we do has remained the same. We are still about what happens when hopeful people work together to transform our community for good.

Donate to the Volunteer Center Legacy Fund

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2017, we launched our Legacy Fund to support and grow the great work of our volunteers and programs. With your help, we can lay the foundation for our next 50 years of service to our community.

We ask that you honor the people, legacy and accomplishments of the Volunteer Center with a gift to our Annual Fund.